GATE Online Coaching Classes

Digital Communications
Online Class-4

By
Dr.B.Leela Kumari
Assistant Professor,
Department of Electronics and Communications Engineering
University college of Engineering Kakinada
Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Kakinada

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 Session -4
Baseband Transmission

• Delta Modulation
• advantages and Draw Backs
• SNR of DM
• Adaptive Delta Modulation
• Comparisons
• Objective Type questions and Illustrative Problems

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 Delta Modulation

• By the DM technique an analog signal can be

encoded in to bits .hence in one sense a DM
is also PCM
• IN DM difference signal is encoded into just a
single bit ,hence in one sense a DM is also
DPCM
• A single bit produces just two possibilities that
is used to increase or decrease the estimate

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 Block diagram of DM

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The DM consists of

 Comparator
Sample and Hold circuit
Up-Down Counter
D/A Converter

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 Comparator makes a comparison between the input base band
signal m(t) and its quantized approximation
Δ(t) =V(H)
=V(L)

 Up-Down counter increments or decrements its count by one at

each active edge of the clock waveform
 The count direction(incrementing or decrementing ) is determined
by the voltage levels t the “count direction command “ input to the
counter
 When this binary input which is also transmitted output S0(t) ,is at
level V(H),the counter counts up, When it is at level V(L),the counter
counts down
 The counter serves as accumulator
 D/ Converter: The digital output of the converter is converted to the
analog quantized approximation by the D/ Converter

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 Response of a Delta Modulator

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 Operation

 Assume active clock edge is the falling edge

 For t< t1 , so that S0(t)=V(H)
 At t=t1,when the active clock edge appears , the
counter is incremented and immediately the signal
Jumps up by an mount equal to the step size S
 At t=t2 still so S0(t)=V(H)
And there is another upward jump in
 At t=t3 so S0(t)=V(L)
 The counter decrements and there is consequent
downward jump in by n mount S and so on.

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 Delta Modulator Transmitter and Receiver

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• The input given to the decoder is processed
and that output is summed up with the
output of the predictor, to obtain a better
output.
mq(n)=eq (n)+mˆ(n-1)

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 Advantages of Delta Modulation

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 Draw Backs of Delta Modulation

Hunting Effect
Slope overload Error
Granular Error

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 Hunting Effect

At start up there my be a brief interval when my be a poor approximation

To the base band signal m(t)
Hence an initial large discrepancy
Further even when has caught up to m(t),and even m(t) remains unvarying
Hunts swinging up or down ,above and below m(t)

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Slope overload Error

The recovered waveform will be distorted when the slope of m(t) is greeter than

the slope of and the DM system is said to be have Slope overload distorted

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Slope overload can be avoided if
S/Ts > |dm(t)/dt|max
 If the base band signal is a sinusoidal signal of amplitude A and frequency f,
m(t)= A Cos 2πft
S/Ts > |dm(t)/dt|max
S/Ts > 2πfA
To decrease the slope overload error ,increase the step
size

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Granular Error

If the variations in m(t) are such that they are with in the step size ,then
the is like square wave.
This will be recovered as DC, but original signal m(t) is not DC.
The noise due to this reason is known as Granular noise
Granular noise comes because chosen value of step size is greeter than
optimum step size.
To reduce the slope overload error , step size needs to be decreased

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 Noise in Delta Modulation system

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• (SNR)DM = (3/80)(fb/fM)3
• The actual value of SNR is greater than the
value given above
• It is found that the value of SNR is
(SNR)DM = (3/64)(fb/fM)3

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 Comparison between PCM and DM

• DM needs Simple circuit

• Maximum possible error is ‘S’ in DM as S/2 in
PCM.
• Hence low SNR
• For voice transmission the bit rate is 56kbps in
PCM where as in DM for the same quality the bit
rate is much higher
• For good quality transmission , the band width
needed by DM is more than PCM

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DM can be recommended for following
situations

When band width conservation is desirable

When the simple circuitry is of utmost importance

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 Adaptive Delta Modulation

• DM are applicable for signals which are having

constant slope.
• If the slope of the signal is varying
continuously, the step size needs to be
changed , which is the basic principle of
operation of ADM.
• ADM is a modification of DM, in which the
step size is not kept fixed

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 Adaptive Delta Modulation

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The ADM consists of

 Comparator
Sample and Hold circuit
Digital Processor
D/A Converter

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• Digital Processor: it has an accumulator and at
each active edge of the clock wave form ,
generates step S which augments or
diminishes the accumulator.

• The step S is not of fixed size but it is always a

multiple of basic step S0

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 Response of a Adaptive Delta Modulator

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Generation of S:
 The K th active clock edge generates step equal in magnitude to
the step generated in response to the (k-1)st clock edge.
 This step is added to or subtracted from the accumulator, as
required to move toward m(t)
 If the direction of the step k is same as at edge (k-1) , then the
processor increases the magnitude of the step by an amount S0
 If the directions re opposite then the processor decreases the
magnitude of the step by an amount S0
 S the algorithm is carried out there are clock edges when the
total step S=0. In this case at the next clock edge the step is S0
in the direction gin to move toward m(t)
 The out put S0(t) is called e(k) which represents the error
e(k) = +1 if immediately before the kth edge
-1 if immediately before the kth edge
at sampling time k, the step size S(k) is to be given by
S(k) = |S(k-1)| e(k)+ S0 e(k-1)

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• as long as the condition persists, the jump
in becomes progressively larger, so that the
estimate catches up with m(t) sooner than
would be the case LDM
• For large slope in m(t), develops large jumps.
• The ADM system reduces Slope overload error
but the quantization error is increased.
• The ADM can operate at bit rates of 32kbps with
performance comparable to that obtained when
using PCM t 64kbps
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Receiver of Adaptive Delta Modulator

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 Comparisons

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 Objective Type questions

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 1. In Delta modulation,
a. One bit per sample is transmitted
b. All the coded bits used for sampling are
transmitted
c. The step size is fixed
d. Both a and c are correct

2. In digital transmission, the modulation

technique that requires minimum bandwidth is
a. Delta modulation
b. PCM
c. DPCM
d. PAM
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 3. In Delta Modulation, the bit rate is
a. N times the sampling frequency
b. N times the modulating frequency
c. N times the nyquist criteria
d. None of the above

4. The factors that cause error in delta

modulation are
a. Slope overload distortion
b. Granular noise
c. White noise
d. Both a and b are correct
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5. In delta modulation, the slope overload distortion can be reduced by
a. decreasing the step size
b. decreasing the granular noise
c.decreasing the sampling noise
d. increasing the step size

6. In the output of a DM speech encoder, the consecutive pulses are of opposite polarity
during time interval 1 ≤ ≤ 2. This indicates that during this interval
a . the input to the modulator is essentially constant
b. he modulator is going through slope overload
c. The accumulator is in saturation
d. the speech signal is being sampled at the Nyquist rate

Explanation:
Given

During the interval ≤ ≤

The consecutive pulses of encoder are of opposite polarity.
In between the two adjacent sample values, if the baseband signal changes by an amount less
than the step size, the output of Delta Modulator is a sequence of alternate positive and
negative pulses.
This small change in base band signal indicates that the baseband is almost constant

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7. The modulation techniques used to convert analog signal
into digital signal are
a. Pulse code modulation
b. Delta modulation
c. Adaptive delta modulation
d. All of the above

8. In Adaptive Delta Modulation, the slope error reduces and

a. Quantization error decreases
b. Quantization error increases
c. Quantization error remains same
d. None of the above

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9. The digital modulation scheme in which the
step size is not fixed is
a. Delta modulation
b. Adaptive delta modulation
c. DPCM
d. PCM

10 Because of variable step size in Adaptive delta

modulation
a. The dynamic range of the signal is constant
b. The dynamic range of the signal is small
c. The dynamic range of the signal is Wide
d. None of the above

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11. Granular noise occurs when
a. Step size is too small
b. Step size is too large
c. There is interference from the adjacent
channel
d. Bandwidth is too large

12. Granular noise can be avoided when

a. Reducing Step size
b. Increasing step size
c. both a and b
d. None of the above

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13. The crest factor of a waveform is given as –
a. 2Peak value/ rms value
b. rms value / Peak value
c. Peak value/ rms value
d. Peak value/ 2rms value

14. The digital modulation technique in which

the step size is varied according to the
variation in the slope of the input is called
a. Delta modulation
b. PCM
c. Adaptive delta modulation
d. PAM

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15. The minimum required amplitude to reduce slope
overload distortion for a sinusoidal modulating signal of
frequency f ( S-step size)
a. Sfs/2
b. STs/2
c. Sfs/2πf
d. Sfs/2π

16. Linear Delta Modulation suitable for

a. Signals having constant slope
b. Signals having varying slope
c. Both a and b
d. None of the above

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17. The input to the DM system is

m(t) =5cos2π1000t. The pulse rate is 56,000

pulse/sec. Determine the step size.

Sol : Step size =2πfmAm/fs = 2πfmAm/(1/Ts)

Am = 5v
1/Ts = 56000
Δ = (5×2π×1000)/56000

Δ =0.56v
18. Input to the DM is m(t)=Am cos 2π fmt. Step size is 0.628v sampling rate is
40,000 samples/sec. The combination of sinusoidal signal amplitude and
frequency for which the slope overload distortion occurs is

Sol : Δ /TS < |d/dt m(t)|max

Δ =0.628 m(t)=Amcos2π fmt

Ts = 1/ 40,000 dm(t)/dt =2π Am fm Sin 2π fm t
|dm(t)/dt|max= 2π fmAm

0.628× 40000< 2πfmAm

Amfm> 0.628× 40000/2π
Amfm> 40k.
19. The input to a linear delta modulator having a step-size ∆= 0.628 is a sine wave with
frequency fm and peak amplitude Em. If the sampling frequency fs = 40 KHz, the combination
of the sine-wave frequency and the peak amplitude, where slope overload will take place is

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 20. The minimum step-size required for a Delta-Modulation operating at 32K samples/sec to track
the signal (here u(t) is the unit-step function)

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21. The minimum sampling frequency (fs)min required to avoid slope overload when
x(t) = cos(2π800t) and δ = 0.1 is
(a) 23.12 kHz
(b) 50.25 kHz
(c) 98.12 kHz
(d) 75.67 kHz

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 22. Let a message signal m(t) be the input to a delta modulator where m (t) = 6 2 sin ( 2π × 103 )
+4 [Sin(4 π 103 ) t] v with t in seconds . The minimum pulse rate that will prevent slope
overload is (given that the step size is 0.314 V)
(a) 280 × 103/s (b) 380 × 103/s
(c) 480 × 103/s (d) 180 × 103/s

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23.A sinusoidal signal of 2 kHz frequency is applied to a delta modulator. The
sampling rate and step-size ∆ of the delta modulator are 20,000 samples
per second and 0.1 V, respectively. To prevent slope overload, the
maximum amplitude of the sinusoidal signal (in Volts) is

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24

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 26.

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27.

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Minimum Transmission Bandwidth = nfm
= 1x32k
32 KHz

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28.

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29.

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30.

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 References
1. communication systems by B.P.Lathi
2. Principles of communication systems by Herber Taub.Donald & Schilling,Goutam
Saha
3. Digital Communications ,Design for real World by Andy Bateman
4. Digital Communications by Dr.K.N.Hari Bhat ans Dr.D.Ganesh Rao
5. Communication Syatems,by R.P.Singh , S D Sapre
6. Digital Communications second edition by CH. Kranthi Rekha
7. Digital Communications theory ,techniques and applications by R.N.Mutagi
8. Digital Communications by P.Rama Krishna Rao
9. Information coding Techniques by R. Avudaiammal
9. Wiley Acing the GATE Examination For Electronics and Communication Engineering
10. https://www.aceenggacademy.com/
11. gate study.com
12. https://www.madeeasy.in/

Disclaimer: The material presented in this presentation is taken from various standard
Textbooks and Internet Resources and the presenter is acknowledging all the authors.

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 Thank You

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